Pig kidney transplant

jayem · Mar 22, 2024

In a medical first, surgeons at Mass General hospital have transplanted a pig kidney into a 62 year old renal failure patient. The organ is from a genetically altered strain of pigs that is less likely to incite rejection. Pig kidneys are also very similar in size and shape to human kidneys. And they have 2 kidneys, just like us, so the donor won’t suffer any problems.

For years, animal-to-human xenotransplantation has been considered as a possible solution to a lack of human organs. The link has more details on how the genetic editing was accomplished. It will be very interesting to see how this works out.

In a First, Genetically Edited Pig Kidney Is Transplanted Into Human

Pommer · Mar 22, 2024

They’ve been using porcine heart valves for decades; the donor doesn’t survive.

durangodawood · Mar 22, 2024

Pommer said:
They’ve been using porcine heart valves for decades; the donor doesn’t survive.

Im sure no one is interested in sewing back up and rehabbing the 1 kidney donor pig either. He probably wont even get eaten.

Nithavela · Mar 22, 2024

durangodawood said:
Im sure no one is interested in sewing back up and rehabbing the 1 kidney donor pig either. He probably wont even get eaten.

Considering that the pig is heavily, heavily gene modified, I don't think people would be interested in eating it, donation or no donation.

I think it's a shame that humanity doesn't appreciate animals enough to give them a good life even when they save a human life. At least not when they're not classically cute like a rescue dog. If I ever had to receive a pig kidney donation, I'd want to take that pig home as a pet or at least have it live out its remaining days in an animal sanctuary.

2PhiloVoid · Mar 22, 2024

jayem said:
In a medical first, surgeons at Mass General hospital have transplanted a pig kidney into a 62 year old renal failure patient. The organ is from a genetically altered strain of pigs that is less likely to incite rejection. Pig kidneys are also very similar in size and shape to human kidneys. And they have 2 kidneys, just like us, so the donor won’t suffer any problems.

For years, animal-to-human xenotransplantation has been considered as a possible solution to a lack of human organs. The link has more details on how the genetic editing was accomplished. It will be very interesting to see how this works out.

In a First, Genetically Edited Pig Kidney Is Transplanted Into Human

My grandfather had a pig-valve inserted into his heart, but personally from what little I do know about organ transplants, I'd rather die than have a transplant of almost any kind ... but that's me.

jayem · Mar 22, 2024

Pommer said:
They’ve been using porcine heart valves for decades; the donor doesn’t survive.

But a pig kidney transplant could be life-saving for the recipient. And then he'd only have to worry about getting swine flu. :oldthumbsup:

mala · Mar 26, 2024

2PhiloVoid said:
My grandfather had a pig-valve inserted into his heart, but personally from what little I do know about organ transplants, I'd rather die than have a transplant of almost any kind ... but that's me.

okay. more transplants for other people.

2PhiloVoid · Mar 26, 2024

mala said:
okay. more transplants for other people.

yep!

Handmaid for Jesus · Mar 27, 2024

2PhiloVoid said:
yep!

QFT!

ThatRobGuy · Mar 27, 2024

2PhiloVoid said:
My grandfather had a pig-valve inserted into his heart, but personally from what little I do know about organ transplants, I'd rather die than have a transplant of almost any kind ... but that's me.

There is definitely a trade-off and it all depends on what the person prioritizes (life extension with quite a medication regimen and heavily limited activities vs. just passing on)

I actually do have an (extended) family who was the recipient of a transplant (my mom's cousin). It's quite a medication routine they have to do (ironically, some of which are known to be very hard on the very organ you just had swapped out)

Immunosuppressive drugs - which means you'll always be more susceptible to infections, get sick quite a bit, and vaccines don't work (or barely work)
Steroid drugs - if you're familiar with Decadron or prednisone, those come with quite the profile of side effects and dosages have to be progressively increased over time
Antimetabolite drugs - which are known to cause nausea, heart palpitations, and hair loss
mTOR inhibitors - which are also known for causing potential heart issues, as well as some other unpleasant side effects like connective & soft tissue breakdown that causes unpleasant things gum recession which then leads to tooth loss and easier tendon tares.

For me it would come down to age. If I was a 20 or 30-something with kidney/liver failure, I'd obviously want to stick around a while longer. If I was already in my 60's, I'd probably pass on getting a transplant.

2PhiloVoid · Mar 27, 2024

ThatRobGuy said:
There is definitely a trade-off and it all depends on what the person prioritizes (life extension with quite a medication regimen and heavily limited activities vs. just passing on)

I actually do have an (extended) family who was the recipient of a transplant (my mom's cousin). It's quite a medication routine they have to do (ironically, some of which are known to be very hard on the very organ you just had swapped out)

Immunosuppressive drugs - which means you'll always be more susceptible to infections, get sick quite a bit, and vaccines don't work (or barely work)
Steroid drugs - if you're familiar with Decadron or prednisone, those come with quite the profile of side effects and dosages have to be progressively increased over time
Antimetabolite drugs - which are known to cause nausea, heart palpitations, and hair loss
mTOR inhibitors - which are also known for causing potential heart issues, as well as some other unpleasant side effects like connective & soft tissue breakdown that causes unpleasant things gum recession which then leads to tooth loss and easier tendon tares.

For me it would come down to age. If I was a 20 or 30-something with kidney/liver failure, I'd obviously want to stick around a while longer. If I was already in my 60's, I'd probably pass on getting a transplant.

You laid out briefly some of the same reasons why I wouldn't submit myself for an organ transplant. However, I wouldn't want to stick around for very long if I had failing organs, even if I was younger. I think it'd be better to be with the Lord whether young or old, either way. But that's me. I'm not implying anyone else has to follow suite. It's a personal choice ...

essentialsaltes · May 12, 2024

Richard “Rick” Slayman, the first patient to receive a genetically edited kidney from a pig, has died nearly two months after the milestone surgery, according to his family and a statement from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where he had the transplant.

The hospital, which said it was “deeply saddened at the sudden passing” of Slayman in a statement shared to social media Saturday, said it had “no indication” that Slayman’s death “was the result of his recent transplant."

Pig kidney transplant

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